News

With the transition of the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) sector to the full National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), ECIA NSW/ACT instigated an essential research project with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to gather evidence of family and service provider experiences of the NDIS.

ECIA NSW/ACT, with the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at UNSW, undertook a longitudinal research project in 2017, which involved families and early childhood intervention practitioners and service providers. Little research has been undertaken in this area to explore what happens as more children, families and ECI service providers move to the NDIS.

The findings of the research show a wide range of experiences among both families and service providers regarding preparations for the NDIS and their early experiences while in the Scheme.

Many families continue to experience delays and communication issues in transitioning to the NDIS, especially disadvantaged families.

Service providers have advanced in their adaptation to NDIS processes, while systemic issues remain. The findings suggest implications for further transition to the NDIS and sustainability of good practice and ECI service types.

Winners announced at the 2017 Excellence Awards

The ECIA NSW/ACT Innovation in Family Centred Practice (IFCP) Grant opened on Tuesday 13th of March 2018. Members of ECIA NSW/ACT providing Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) services in NSW were able to apply. The closing date for applications was Monday 9th of April 2018. The IFCP Grant received an overwhelming response from the sector with a total of 18 applications received from early childhood services across NSW. There was an excellent spread of large and small organisations from metropolitan, rural, regional and remote areas of the state, and there were many excellent applications, which made the job of the assessment panel particularly challenging!

Parliament of Australia has assented to the legislative framework and rules establishing the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Several pieces of legislation were elected. We will address two in particular:

The Provider Registration and Practice Standards Rules which set out the requirements for provider registration and the NDIS Code of Conduct which set the minimum expectations, behaviour and culture of NDIS providers and persons employed or otherwise engaged by NDIS providers, and empowers consumers in relation to their rights. Click here to read the Code of Conduct Rules 2018.